"In His Eyes..."

"..In His eyes, you're a fire
that never goes out
A light on the top of a hill
In His eyes you're a poet,
a painter, a prophet
With a mission of love to fulfill
Outside there's a world
so enchantingly strange
A maze of illusion and lies
But there's never a story
that ever could change
The glory of you in His eyes

In His eyes you're a radiant
vision of beauty
A gemstone cut one of a kind
You're fine as a diamond,
deep as a ruby
Rare as a jade in His mind
No need to believe
all you may have been told
No need to live in disguise
You're brighter than silver,
purer than gold
A pearl beyond price in His eyes

You're an innocent child
in the sight of His face
No cause for blame
For fear or disgrace
He sees only goodness,
His vision is true
And nothing can change
the perfection of you
in His eyes

In His eyes, you're a fire
that never goes out
A light on the top of a hill
You're a rose in the forest,
a prelude from Bach
A triumph of heavenly skill
Outside there's a world
that keeps breaking your heart
And tearing your dreams down to size
But guiding you homeward,
piercing the dark
Is the lovelight that shines
in His eyes

Now and forever,
that light never dies
You're dearly beloved
in His eyes..."

- Mindy Jostyn/Jacob Brackman
"In His Eyes"
(this is just an audio sample...you will want to own this..trust me)

Sometimes there isn't a need to write something new.  It's especially true when what's already been written so perfectly articulates a feeling or a hope,  that to expound on it would be like painting a rose,  embellishing a diamond, photo-shopping the colors in a South African sunset, or trying to enhance the serenity on a newborn's sleeping face...or explain the love of a sister's embrace.

So I will let Mindy's lyrics above -- by far one of the greatest spiritual songs ever written, and this exegesis on I Corinthians 13 and I John 4  -- sent to me by my friend, Leslie...speak what is in my heart today. 

Love
by Sanders

When I am loved, I can make mistakes. I can lose my temper. I can be late, I can cry, I can grow at my own pace because LOVE IS PATIENT.

When I am loved, I know that encouragement and reproof will be given gently, and that things that are important to me will be important to the one who loves me because LOVE IS KIND.

When I am loved, I know that I can have talents and strengths and successes that may be even greater in some areas than the one who loves me, and that those talents and strengths and successes will be encouraged and supported, because LOVE DOES NOT ENVY.

And I know that I will not be in competition with the one who loves me because LOVE ISN'T PROUD.

Whatever either of us can learn to be - simply makes us a stronger unit of love. When I am loved, I can know that my interests and feelings and tears and laughter count. I can trust my deepest needs and greatest fears to the one who loves and know that I will be listened to and protected and cradled because LOVE IS NOT RUDE OR SELF-SEEKING.

When I am loved, I know that my bad moods or hard days or selfish times won't be met with intolerance or standards of performance that I can't measure up to. I know that it's alright to be imperfect. I know that I have some freedom to say things that I might not really mean or react immaturely or to release a little frustration because LOVE IS NOT EASILY ANGERED.

I have more than one chance, I have a lifetime of chances. When I am loved I can make a mistake today and not have to apologize for it for the next three years because LOVE MAKES NO RECORD OF WRONGS.

When I am loved the very nature of God becomes real to me because LOVE REJOICES WITH THE TRUTH.

When I am loved, I come to know God. When I am loved, I have a place to run and hide from the attacks of Satan where I am safe. I have a refuge. I have a place where I know I am always welcome because LOVE PROTECTS.

When I am loved, I am allowed to know the hidden thoughts of the one who loves because LOVE TRUSTS.

When I am loved, I have the joy of becoming everything that God intends for me to become, everything that He promises I can be, because LOVE HOPES, and hope is built on what we know is going to happen.

And, finally, when I am loved I don't have to be afraid that it will go away today or tomorrow or forever, because LOVE PERSEVERES.

Thank you to God for the unspeakable gifts of His love, your friendship, the experiences - tears and triumphs - we've shared, and the words that flow between us like sap among the trees and saplings of the Aspen Grove...that is really just one tree.

always,
Kate

Mindy's CD "In His Eyes can be purchased through her website: www.mindyjostyn.com.

photo credit*: my daughters, Emma and Clara (taken by their dad, Dwight Oyer 2002)
*from our private collection, please do not use or copy